The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Capital One Arena, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. an arena they share with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Georgetown University men's basketball team.
Michael Bibby is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the head coach for Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.
Kwame Hasani Brown is an American former professional basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Selected by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft, Brown was the first No. 1 overall pick to be chosen straight out of high school and the 16th player from high school to be drafted into the NBA. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers. His performance as a first overall draft pick has led many analysts to label him as one of the biggest busts in NBA history.
Michael Joseph Dunleavy Jr. is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the general manager for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, earning consensus second-team All-American honors in 2002. Dunleavy was selected by Golden State with the third overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft. He played in the NBA for the Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. He is the son of former long-time NBA player and head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, being named national player of the year in 1998. He was selected by the Toronto Raptors as the fourth overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft before being traded to the Golden State Warriors for former Tar Heel teammate Vince Carter.
Michael Lloyd Miller is an American basketball coach, former professional player who is the boys' basketball head coach at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, as well as being a sports agent. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick. Miller was named the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Magic in 2001 and was voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. He won two consecutive NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Michael Lamont James is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard, James played college basketball for Duquesne. James spent 13 seasons in the NBA and played for 11 different teams, winning an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He averaged 20.3 points per game as a member of the Toronto Raptors during the 2005–2006 season.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Grizzlies' sixth season in the National Basketball Association. It would also be their final year in Vancouver. For the third straight year, the Grizzlies had the second pick in the 2000 NBA draft, which they used to select Stromile Swift out of Louisiana State University. During the off-season, the team acquired Isaac Austin from the Washington Wizards, re-acquired Tony Massenburg after one season with the Houston Rockets, and signed free agent Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Entering their sixth season, the rumors of a move became a reality. Club owner Michael Heisley decided that it was time for the Grizzlies to move on. After five losing seasons had given the team low morale and decreasing support in the community, the team found itself in debt. Despite winning four of their first five games under new head coach Sidney Lowe, the Grizzlies lost seven straight afterwards, losing 21 of their next 25 games.
The 2001–02 NBA season was the Wizards' 41st season in the National Basketball Association. This season is most memorable for the return of All-Star guard and six-time champion Michael Jordan, who came out of his second retirement to play for the Wizards. After finishing 19–63 the previous season, the Wizards won the draft lottery, and selected high school basketball star Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. The team also signed free agent Tyronn Lue, who previously won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, and acquired rookie center Brendan Haywood from the Orlando Magic, and acquired rookie guard Bobby Simmons from the Seattle SuperSonics. The Wizards hired head coach Doug Collins, who coached Jordan and the Chicago Bulls from 1986 to 1989. Jordan would also reunite with former Dream Team member Christian Laettner from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
The 2002–03 NBA season was the Wizards' 42nd season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Wizards acquired All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agents Larry Hughes, Bryon Russell, and Charles Oakley. Retired All-Star center Patrick Ewing was hired as the team's assistant coach. The Wizards got off to a 6–4 start to the season, but then struggled losing six straight games afterwards, and held a 24–25 record at the All-Star break. The team finished fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was the same as the previous season.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Lakers' 53rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 41st in the city of Los Angeles. The Lakers entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals in six games, winning their twelfth NBA championship. During the off-season, the Lakers acquired Horace Grant from the Seattle SuperSonics. Grant won three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s. The team also signed free agent Isaiah Rider, who was released by the Atlanta Hawks during the previous season due to off the court troubles, and signed Greg Foster, who had two NBA Finals appearances with the Utah Jazz. Derek Fisher only played just 20 games due to a stress fracture in his right foot, which forced him to miss the first 62 games of the regular season. The Lakers held a 31–16 record at the All-Star break, and won their final eight games, finishing the regular season with a 56–26 record, and won the Pacific Division over the rival Sacramento Kings by one game.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Clippers' 31st season in the National Basketball Association, and their 17th season in Los Angeles. After finishing with the worst record the previous season, the Clippers selected high school basketball star Darius Miles with the third overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired second-year guard Corey Maggette and top draft pick Keyon Dooling from the Orlando Magic, while acquiring Sean Rooks from the Dallas Mavericks. With the addition of Miles, Maggette and Dooling, along with first round draft pick Quentin Richardson, the Clippers were a young team. However, center Keith Closs was suspended for the entire season due to lack of physical conditioning. Under new head coach Alvin Gentry, the Clippers would struggle losing 14 of their first 19 games as Tyrone Nesby was traded to the Washington Wizards after 14 games. As the season progressed, the Clippers went on a nine-game losing streak in January. However, they would play around .500 in the final three months of the season, as they doubled their previous season's win total finishing sixth in the Pacific Division with a 31–51 record.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 31st season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. In the off-season, the Blazers acquired Dale Davis from the Indiana Pacers, and All-Star forward Shawn Kemp from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade. The Blazers struggled losing three of their first four games, but soon recovered and later on posted a 10-game winning streak between January and February, and held a 35–15 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team re-signed free agent and former Blazers guard Rod Strickland, who was previously released by the Washington Wizards. Despite the strong start, the Blazers struggled and played below .500 for the remainder of the season, posting a 15–17 record after the All-Star break. Falling nine games below the previous season's mark, the Blazers nevertheless made the playoffs for the 19th consecutive year, finishing as the #7 seed in the Western Conference with a solid 50–32 record.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Mavericks' 21st season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Mavericks acquired Christian Laettner and Loy Vaught from the Detroit Pistons in two separate trades, acquired Howard Eisley from the Utah Jazz, and acquired top draft pick Courtney Alexander from the Orlando Magic. In their final season at the Reunion Arena, the Mavericks won ten of their first fifteen games, and played above .500 for the entire season, holding a 31–19 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Laettner, Vaught and Alexander along with Hubert Davis, and top draft pick Etan Thomas to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Juwan Howard and second-year center Calvin Booth, as the team signed free agent Vernon Maxwell, who was previously released by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks finished third in the Midwest Division with a 53–29 record, and made their first playoff appearance since the 1989–90 season, ending a ten-year playoff drought.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Bucks' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Bucks acquired Danny Manning and re-acquired Dale Ellis from the Orlando Magic, and signed free agents Darvin Ham and J.R. Reid. After missing most of the previous season with an ankle injury, Sam Cassell played a full season as the Bucks won their first three games, and played above .500 in the first half of the season, holding a 26–24 record at the All-Star break. However, they struggled in February posting a 3–9 record as Ellis was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, and Haywoode Workman was released to free agency, and signed with the Toronto Raptors. With less than a month to go, the Bucks playoff chances appeared bleak as they had a 32–37 record in late March. However, down the stretch, they won 10 of their final 13 games to sneak into the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, finishing fifth in the Central Division with a 42–40 record.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bullets' 33rd season in the National Basketball Association. The Bullets received the sixth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Calbert Cheaney out of Indiana University, and also selected 7' 7" Romanian center Gheorghe Mureșan with the 30th overall pick. In the off-season, the team acquired former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth from the Portland Trail Blazers, signed free agents Kenny Walker and undrafted rookie guard Mitchell Butler, and released LaBradford Smith to free agency after seven games, as he later on signed with the Sacramento Kings.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Wizards' 39th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1999 NBA draft, the Wizards selected Richard Hamilton from the University of Connecticut with the seventh overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Isaac Austin from the Orlando Magic, signed free agents Aaron Williams and Michael Smith, and hired Gar Heard as their new head coach. The biggest news would involve the front office as retired All-Star guard, and former Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan joined the Wizards as the team's vice president in January. After winning their first game of the season, the Wizards continued to under achieve posting a 7-game losing streak. With a 14–30 record at midseason, Heard was fired as head coach, and was replaced with Darrell Walker, and the team signed free agent Don Reid, who was previously released by the Detroit Pistons. Despite posting a solid 10–7 record in March, the Wizards finished last place in the Atlantic Division with a 29–53 record.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Wizards’ 40th season in the National Basketball Association. Washington D.C. hosted the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. During the off-season, the Wizards acquired Felipe López and Cherokee Parks from the Vancouver Grizzlies, and acquired Popeye Jones from the Denver Nuggets. Under new head coach Leonard Hamilton, and later on trading Parks to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Tyrone Nesby, the Wizards continued to struggle posting a nine-game losing streak between November and December. The team lost nine straight again in January leading to an awful 7–34 start to the season, as Mitch Richmond only played just 37 games due to knee injuries. People scoffed that their best player, and the team's Vice President Michael Jordan was sitting up in the owner's box.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Kings' 49th season in the National Basketball Association, and 13th season in Sacramento. During the off-season, the Kings signed free agent Terry Dehere. The team decided to add youth to their roster with the addition of rookies Lawrence Funderburke, top draft pick Tariq Abdul-Wahad, second round draft pick Anthony Johnson and undrafted rookie center Michael Stewart. The Kings got off to a slow start losing their first four games on their way to a 5–14 start, but later on won 8 of their 14 games in January, and held a 20–28 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Michael Smith and Bobby Hurley the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for former Kings forward Otis Thorpe. However, with a 26–36 record as of March 6, the Kings struggled losing 19 of their final 20 games, including a 12-game losing streak and seven straight losses to end the season. They finished fifth in the Pacific Division with a 27–55 record, which was fourteen games behind the 8th-seeded Houston Rockets.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 12th season in the National Basketball Association. After the tragic death of Malik Sealy, the Timberwolves scrambled to find a replacement for him, signing free agent Chauncey Billups, a close friend of Kevin Garnett, and signing LaPhonso Ellis during the off-season. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves secret free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled their proper procedure in signing the contract, while stripping their first round draft picks for the next five seasons and fined the team $3.5 million; Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, and General Manager Kevin McHale were both suspended for one year. Smith would later on sign a free-agent deal with the Detroit Pistons.
